The Lazy Swordmaster Chapter 7:
Just Who . . . ?
Morning, at Count Stein's office .
"So, Riley had a go with the sword?"
"Yes . "
Ian reported to Stein what had happened yesterday .
Yesterday, Riley had gone to the training grounds after watching his mother collapse .
Ian added that the lazy atmosphere that usually surrounded Riley had vanished for a moment .
"Well he did have a go, but . . . "
Although it was good news that the lazy child displayed potential to some extent, there was an additional piece of information that would counteract the former, with room to spare .
"He lost interest immediately . "
"Immediately?"
"I assume he was disappointed with the power of his swing . "
That meant that his swordsmanship was beyond pathetic .
"Hmm . "
Stein who had been tapping on his desk nodded .
"Alright . You may leave . "
"Master, perhaps you should give -"
"I'm already having a headache with the rat that infiltrated the manor . I had already surmised that Riley would only amount to that . There is no reason to teach the swordsmanship of the Iphelleta house to someone who lacks any form of motivation . I'm sure my ancestors would think the same . "
After finishing his words, Stein flicked his hand to shoo Ian away .
Ian turned to leave with his head lowered ruefully .
---
Riley managed to find the perfect angle to lie down on his preferred apple tree .
This was the sort of angle he found only once a fortnight .
If he were to move now, it would be lost for the rest of the day .
Therefore, Riley would not move from where he was .
"I wonder if that will fall anytime soon . "
He had been licking his lips while staring at the apple which had been dangling on the tree .
For a while now, he had been waiting for it to fall on its own .
Perhaps by the wind,
Perhaps due to a worm,
Or perhaps a bird would land on it .
He was waiting in anticipation for the single apple directly above his head to fall to him .
Were he to stand and take it himself, he would be forced to relinquish his perfect position .
"Ha . Young Master . . . "
Riley, who had been counting the number of leaves around the apple, turned his attention away .
The words that came from behind were equivalent to sighs of dismay .
Naturally, the man who spoke those words was a dejected Ian .
"What’s up? You seem pretty down . "
Riley rolled his eyes to glance at Ian .
" . . . "
"Ah! I see! Is it raining today? Your back and knees must be aching . "
Ian began to give Riley a glare .
" . . . "
"Right?"
Riley scratched his head and looked up at the sky .
The sky was blue, with not a cloud in sight .
"Was I wrong?"
"Young Master!"
Ian suddenly shouted at Riley .
"Geez, you surprised me . . . "
Riley almost flinched out of his perfect position .
"Will you really give up after that?"
"What about it?"
Riley replied as if asking what the problem was .
Ian continued speaking with his hands curled into fists .
"I will give you praise for finding those seeds for Lady Iris; she has recovered considerably thanks to them!"
Of course .
They were no ordinary seeds .
Riley had placed special enchantment on the seeds .
"But, to give up after only one swing! That’s . . . That’s . . . . !"
Ian's words began to falter .
As the first man to have had seen Riley's potential, he was also the one to be most the devastated by his lack of motivation .
He wondered if his lifespan had shorted from watching so much potential wither away . Or perhaps it had given him cancer .
"Well, if I can't win with a sword, I'll just become a mage . I like reading better anyway . "
At least cancer could be cured, with some luck .
Ian screamed in frustration .
"What, you think becoming a mage is . . . "
Is that easy?!
Just when he was about to ask, Riley turned his gaze elsewhere .
It was directed above him, between the leaves of the apple tree .
"What are you looking at?"
"An apple . "
"Why?"
"I thought if I became a mage, I could take that apple without standing . . . "
"Young Master!!"
" . . . "
Riley shut his mouth .
Overwhelmed by Ian, Riley muttered after building up his courage .
" . . . Your shouting is hurting my ears . "
"Don't change the subject . This time, I'll surely change your -"
"Hm? Wait Ian! Look, over there! Is that the glint of a blade?"
"What are you on . . . "
Ian told himself that he would call Lady Iris as reinforcements if Riley was misleading him again, and then he looked up .
"Hm?"
But what was this?
Just as Riley had said, a blade could be seen within the leaves .
It was not a long sword or a double edged sword like the ones used in the house .
It was a dagger .
One without a sheath .
'A dagger?'
Ian was quite interested by the peculiar purple grip it had, and jumped toward it .
As he landed on the branches, he carefully took the dagger out from the tree .
'It seems familiar . '
It was a dagger with a crescent-shaped blade .
Ian widened his eyes in realization .
'Wait . . . Is this . . . ?'
The shape of the blade would fit perfectly in the sheath that was currently in Stein's office .
"What? What’s going on? Show me as well . "
Riley did not want to move, but he was curious, too .
Therefore, he took the option of ordering Ian .
Ian dropped next to Riley and handed the dagger to him .
"I believe this belonged to the dead man we found yesterday . "
"Huh? How do you know?"
"The shape is identical to the sheath he had . We should be able to find out soon . "
Ian took the dagger back from Riley .
"Then I shall go to see Master Stein . "
"Huh? Alright then . "
Riley nodded in agreement as Ian spoke with a serious face .
He got to skip out on all the nagging, and there was nothing he was missing out on .
" . . . "
As Ian left in a hurry, Riley began to tap the tree with his foot .
"Well then . "
Riley talked to himself .
Although his eyes still looked as lazy as ever, the atmosphere around him changed completely .
"How are they going to react?"
Riley closed his eyes and spread his senses far and wide across the mansion, keeping his own presence concealed .
----
"Number 3 is dead?"
"Yes, sir . "
Inside a dark room .
The candle suspended from the ceiling burned faintly .
This was the hideout from which the hooded man originated .
"How did he die?"
A man who was dressed differently from the other hooded men asked for a report .
As expected of an experienced assassin, the reply came in a dry manner .
"We have no idea . "
It would mean that death of No . 3 was not a suicide .
"And the body?"
He bit his lips and asked another question .
"It is being held in the Iphelleta House . "
"Huh . "
The situation was bad .
It had happened in the famous Iphelleta House .
If any evidence was found from the body, not just the hideout but everyone in that room's lives would be in danger .
"Orelly's in a bad position . "
He scratched his beard as he thought about his 'daughter' .
"What will you do?"
As the hooded man asked, the man stood up from his chair .
"I will go . "
"Directly?"
"Well, we mustn’t be found out . We leave this evening . Make preparations for a stealth mission . "
"As you wish . "
The hooded man bowed and disappeared .
"Well then . "
Standing alone in the room, the man grabbed a mask on the table, and placed it in his pocket .
"It's been a while since I last paid a visit to my son-in-law . "